This article is about the American television game show. For the game show "Treasure Hunt" produced in the United Kingdom for Channel 4, see Treasure Hunt (UK game show).
Treasure Hunt, also known as The New Treasure Hunt during its 1970s run, is an American television game show that aired throughout the 1950s, 1970s, and 1980s. In the show, contestants selected a mystery treasure chest in the hopes of winning grand prizes.
The earliest version of the show was first broadcast in the U.S. from 1956 to 1959; initially on ABC, and then later on NBC. The original show was created, hosted, and produced by comedian and presenter Jan Murray. Two contestants played a quiz in which the challenger picked one of five categories. These were shown on a large anchor from which Murray would quiz the contestants. Each contestant was asked five questions from the chosen category for $10 apiece on the daytime edition, or $50 apiece on the prime-time editions. The player who won the most money went on the treasure hunt, with both contestants advancing if tied.
The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is an American commercial broadcast television network that is a flagship property of Disney–ABC Television Group, a subsidiary of the Disney Media Networks division of The Walt Disney Company. The network is headquartered in Burbank, California on Riverside Drive, directly across the street from Walt Disney Studios and adjacent to the Roy E. Disney Animation Building.
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial terrestrial television network that is a flagship property of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. The network is headquartered at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City, with additional major offices near Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia. The network is one of the Big Three television networks. NBC is sometimes referred to as the "Peacock Network", in reference to its stylized peacock logo, introduced in 1956 to promote the company's innovations in early color broadcasting. It became the network's official emblem in 1979.
Jan Murray was an American stand-up comedian, actor, and game show host who originally made his name on the Borscht Belt and later was known for his frequent television appearances over several decades.
In the treasure hunt, the champion picked 1 of 30 treasure chests. Each of these was filled with a series of prize packages or a large cash prize. The ABC prime time version offered $25,000 as its top prize. On the NBC daytime edition, the grand prize started at $1,000 and went up by $100 every time it was not won. On its prime-time counterpart, the jackpot started at $10,000 and increased by $1,000 a week until won. There were also some joke prizes, such as a head of cabbage or a pound of onions. Before Murray would open the chest, the contestant would pick an envelope from a wheel-shaped board containing sealed cash amounts from $100 up. They were then given the choice of either taking the money or the contents of the treasure chest. Regardless of the outcome, the winner got to play another game.
At the end of the show, Murray would select someone from the audience to draw a postcard from a home viewer that had a number from 1 to 30 written on it. If the cash jackpot was in the chest marked with the same number, the home viewer won the jackpot. If not, the viewer was given a consolation prize. Also, the person who picked the postcard received a prize. Instead of looking in the treasure chest the viewer selected, Murray would open a safe, protected by a security guard, containing a folded piece of paper with the pre-selected number of the chest that actually held the cash prize.
The set of the 1950s version of Treasure Hunt had a pirate-influenced motif with treasure chests. When the contestant picked a chest in the bonus round, the 'Pirate Girl' (Marian Stafford), who acted as Murray's assistant, would put the box on a movable table that resembled a pirate ship.
Marian Stafford was an American actress and model. She was Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Month for the March 1956 issue. Her centerfold was photographed by Ruth Sondak, and was the first to consist of three pages.
On the occasions when Murray was unavailable, other comedians would fill in as emcee, including Buddy Hackett.[1]
Buddy Hackett was an American comedian and actor. His best remembered roles include Marcellus Washburn in The Music Man (1962); Benjy Benjamin in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963); Tennessee Steinmetz in The Love Bug (1968); and Scuttle in The Little Mermaid (1989).
The New Treasure Hunt was a reboot of the 1950s TV series. It involved women competing to select 1 of 30 "surprise packages", with a top prize of $25,000 hidden inside one of them. Unlike the original version, the show did not use a question-and-answer trivia challenges, with contestants relying entirely on luck. The pirate theme was also abandoned, with large cardboard boxes taking the place of the treasure chests.
Before each episode began, the production staff would give ten female members of the studio audience small gift boxes. When instructed to open the boxes, the women with cards numbered 1 to 3 would come down to the stage and each pick one of three jack-in-the-boxes. The contestant whose jack-in-the-box had a pop-up surprise (e.g., flowers, dolls) earned the right to go on the treasure hunt.
A jack-in-the-box is a children's toy that outwardly consists of a box with a crank. When the crank is turned, a music box mechanism in the toy plays a melody. After the crank has been turned a sufficient number of times, there is a "surprise": the lid pops open and a figure, usually a clown or jester, pops out of the box. Some jack-in-the-boxes open at random times when cranked, making the startle even more effective. Many of those that use "Pop Goes the Weasel" open at the point in the melody when the word "pop" would be sung. In 2005, the jack-in-the-box was inducted into the American National Toy Hall of Fame, where are displayed all types of versions of the toy, starting from the beginning versions, and ending with the most recently manufactured versions.
After being shown two or three of the prizes hidden among the 30 packages, the contestant was asked to select one of the boxes, which was brought down to the table by a model assistant. The host would open an envelope attached to the box and reveal a card with a dollar amount from $200 to $2,000. He then handed that money to the contestant and gave her the choice of keeping the money or taking the contents of the box. Possible prizes included vacations, automobiles, cash prizes between $4,000 and $14,000, and the grand prize of $25,000. Several of the boxes also contained booby prizes, referred to as "klunks", that had very little value.
A booby prize is a joke prize usually given in recognition of a terrible performance or last-place finish. A person who finishes last, for example, may receive a booby prize such as a worthless coin. Booby prizes are sometimes jokingly coveted as an object of pride.
Upon making her decision, the contestant was not immediately shown what she had won, as the premise of this program was to display (and exploit) the female contestants' emotions. Instead, Edwards engaged the contestant in a comedic sketch, usually involving props, to intentionally mislead the contestant as to what she'd finally won. Very often, a contestant would be shown a klunk only to have this lead to the actual prize, which could be either a more valuable prize or just another klunk.
Sketch comedy comprises a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches", commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio or visual medium such as radio and television. Often sketches are first improvised by the actors and written down based on the outcome of these improv sessions; however, such improvisation is not necessarily involved in sketch comedy.
Two games were played during each show, each game involving one half of the studio audience (the two halves facing off against each other). If a contestant found the grand prize during the first game, another was hidden for the second half of the program. At the end of each episode, if the grand prize was not won, Edwards ritually asked security guard Emile Autuori if he hid the $25,000 check. Autuori would reply affirmatively, and the box with the grand prize would be revealed to the audience.
Production
Producer Chuck Barris purchased the U.S. Treasure Hunt format in the 1970s and revived the game in weekly syndication in 1973. Geoff Edwards hosted The New Treasure Hunt with Johnny Jacobs as the announcer. Jan Murray received a "created by" credit during the show's closing credits.
The opening theme, closing theme, and klunk music cues were composed by Chuck Barris himself; Barris was an accomplished songwriter. However, the melodic closing theme of the 1970s Treasure Hunt, also occasionally used as a winners' cue, is formally credited to Elmer Bernstein. Some of Barris's music from previous game shows, such as the unsold pilot for Cop-Out!, was also featured on the program.
Producers had to devise nearly 30 sketches per episode. Due to the lack of cue cards, the taping would be stopped after a box was chosen so that Edwards could be briefed on the premise of the prize package reveal. Aside from his hosting and radio work, Edwards was also an actor and the producers encouraged him to build the tension as he saw fit, even to unbearable levels.[2] The only time no sketch took place was when the contestant won the grand prize. The common method of the reveal would entail Edwards suggesting to the contestant that she should have kept the money in the envelope, before revealing that she had, in fact, won the grand prize. Hysterics occurred following the revealing of the check: shrill sirens went off; confetti and balloons dropped from the ceiling; and, on a few occasions, the contestant was swarmed onstage by Barris staff members and humorously given roses.
1980s version (Treasure Hunt)
Treasure Hunt returned to television in 1981 as a daily series. Geoff Edwards hosted again, with Jan Speck as the prize model and assistant. Johnny Jacobs returned to announce, but due to what would prove to be a terminal illness he left the show and Tony McClay replaced him. Emile Autuori returned in his role as the security agencies responsible for placing the grand prize check in its proper box.
Again, two games were played per show, one with each half of the audience. In this version, the female members of the studio audience were given balloons, which were popped on Edwards's cue. The woman whose balloon had a card with a star came down to centre stage to challenge the previous game's champion (in the first episode, two balloons had stars). There were now only two jack-in-the-boxes, with the challenger receiving the choice between them. As in the 1970s version, the contestant who had the pop-up surprise in her jack-in-the-box advanced to the treasure hunt.
The contestant selected from 66 surprise packages on stage, and again was given the opportunity to sell the box to Edwards for between $500 and $1,000. The grand prize was a progressive jackpot starting at $25,000 and increasing by $1,000 for each show it wasn't won, to a maximum of $50,000. After being won on the fourth episode, it was held at a fixed $20,000 for a period before the progressive jackpot was reinstated.
The prizes in this version were of lesser value than the 1970s series, but winners could return on the next episode for a chance at another treasure hunt and frequently won one or two prize packages (such as home appliances, a trip, or a small room package). Automobiles were scaled back to economy models (specifically the Chevrolet Chevette); there were also no longer checks worth less than the grand prize.
The show featured a new closing theme by Milton DeLugg and reused some of the music cues from the earlier version.
Controversy
An incident regarding The New Treasure Hunt concerned a contestant, Vera Augenbach, on a September1974 episode (episode36), who fainted on stage upon being told that she had won a 1937 Rolls-Royce Phantom convertible. This incident was replayed on 60 Minutes as part of an exposé on the series; producer Chuck Barris expressed pride in the incident, given the show's premise.[2][3]
In addition to playing on the presumed emotionalism of female contestants, the decision of Barris to allow only women in the game was reportedly a safety precaution– he was concerned that a male contestant might become angered by the show's antics (presumably including being led by a sketch, which typically ran for around five minutes or so, into a klunk) and physically attack Edwards or other staffers. However, in an interview on Blog Talk Radio, Edwards said men would most likely not show as much enthusiasm as the women, even if they won the grand prize.[2]
During the 1970s run, Barris told Edwards during the fourth season (1976–1977) that he wanted to make The New Treasure Hunt even more sadistic for the upcoming fifth season (1977–1978)– an example being that the contestant would be shown a very expensive car (such as a Rolls-Royce, Ferrari, or Mercedes-Benz) but, after the excitement subsided, learn that the prize was only a small part of the vehicle (such as the rear-view mirror). Edwards refused and was initially fired, but Barris quickly went back on that decision and Edwards did not miss any episodes. Instead, Edwards left on his own after the season ended and Barris, unwilling to replace him, canceled the series shortly thereafter.[2]
Possible reboots
The Gurin Company
In October 2012, The Gurin Company[4] bought the license of the show. The company wanted to produce an updated version in which three couples compete against each other as they select treasure chests, all of which have surprises in them. The team with the most prizes would move on to a quest for $1million. Gurin was partnered with veteran game show host Wink Martindale, with Mark Maxwell-Smith and John Ricci Jr. as producers. It was shipped to both the U.S. and international broadcasters as he pitched the show along with a possible reboot of Truth or Consequences.
Electus/Barracuda Television Productions
In September 2015, Electus, along with the conjunction of Barracuda Television Productions,[5] acquired the rights to the show where the basic premise remains the same: a single contestant selects 1 of 30 treasure chests and wins what is inside, with comedic distractions to heighten the tension at each decision point. This was to be produced by Barry Poznick along with veteran game show host Wink Martindale and John Ricci Jr.
See also
Deal or No Deal – Game show similar in concept to Chuck Barris' Treasure Hunt.
Hollywood Squares is an American game show in which two contestants play tic-tac-toe to win cash and prizes. The show piloted on NBC in 1965, and the regular series debuted in 1966 on the same network. The board for the game is a 3 × 3 vertical stack of open-faced cubes, each occupied by a celebrity seated at a desk and facing the contestants. The stars are asked questions by the host, and the contestants judge the truth of their answers to gain squares in the right pattern to win the game.
Charles Hirsch Barris was an American game show creator, producer and host. Barris was known for hosting The Gong Show and creating The Dating Game and The Newlywed Game. He was also a songwriter who wrote "Palisades Park" for Freddy Cannon. Barris wrote an autobiography titled Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, which was made into the film of the same name directed by George Clooney.
Truth or Consequences is an American game show originally hosted on NBC radio by Ralph Edwards (1940–1957) and later on television by Edwards (1950–1954), Jack Bailey (1954–1956), Bob Barker (1956–1975), Steve Dunne (1957–58), Bob Hilton (1977–1978) and Larry Anderson (1987–1988). The television show ran on CBS, NBC and also in syndication. The premise of the show was to mix the original quiz element of game shows with wacky stunts.
The Joker's Wild is an American television game show that has aired at different times since the 1970s. Contestants answer questions based on categories determined randomly by a mechanism resembling a slot machine. The show's title refers to the game's slot-machine mechanism also having jokers.
Now You See It is an American television game show created by Frank Wayne for Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions. The object of Now You See It is to answer general knowledge trivia questions by finding the answers hidden in a grid, similar to a word search puzzle.
Deal or No Deal is the name of several closely related television game shows, the first of which was the Dutch Miljoenenjacht produced by Dutch producer Endemol. It is played with up to 26 cases, each containing randomly assigned sums of money. The player claims one case or a box at the start of the game, without its contents being revealed. The contestant then chooses the other cases or boxes, one at a time, to be immediately opened and removed from play. Throughout the game, the player is offered an amount of money or prizes to quit, being asked the titular question, "Deal or no deal?" If the contestant rejects every deal and eliminates all the other cases or boxes, the player keeps the money that was in the original case or box. Thus, the contestant "wins" depending on whether the player should have taken one of the deals or should have held onto the original case or box until the very end.
The Cross-Wits is an American syndicated game show which premiered on December 15, 1975, and lasted for five seasons until its cancellation on September 12, 1980. The show was hosted by Jack Clark, with Jerri Fiala as hostess. Announcing duties were handled by John Harlan, Jay Stewart, and Jerry Bishop. The show was produced by Ralph Edwards Productions and distributed by Metromedia Producers Corporation.
Jackpot is an American and Canadian television game show produced by Bob Stewart which saw contestants attempting to solve riddles in order to win cash and prizes.
Three on a Match is an American television game show created by Bob Stewart that ran on NBC from August 2, 1971 to June 28, 1974 on its daytime schedule. The host was Bill Cullen and Don Pardo served as announcer on most episodes, with Bob Clayton and NBC staffers Wayne Howell and Roger Tuttle substituting at times.
Three's a Crowd is an American game show originally packaged by Chuck Barris Productions. The first version aired in syndication from September 17, 1979 to February 1, 1980. The second version ran in 1999 on Game Show Network.
The Parent Game is an American game show that ran in syndication from 1972–1973. The show was hosted by Clark Race, a Los Angeles radio personality, with Johnny Jacobs as the announcer. The answers were commented by child psychologist Dorothy Thompson, who did not appear in-studio.
Wowowin is a Philippine television variety show broadcast by GMA Network. Hosted by Willie Revillame, it premiered on May 10, 2015 on the network's Sunday Grande sa Hapon line up and worldwide on GMA Pinoy TV. On May 16, 2016, it became a co-production with GMA Entertainment TV and moved to the network's Telebabad line up replacing GMA Blockbusters.
Sale of the Century is an American television game show that debuted in the United States on September 29, 1969, on NBC daytime. It was one of three NBC game shows to premiere on that date, the other two being the short-lived Letters to Laugh-In and Name Droppers. The series aired until July 13, 1973, and a weekly syndicated series began that fall and ran for one season. Actor Jack Kelly hosted the series from 1969 to 1971, then decided to return to acting full-time. He was replaced by Joe Garagiola, who hosted the remainder of the daytime series plus the one season in syndication.
$ale of the Century is an Australian game show that aired on the Nine Network from 14 July 1980 to 29 November 2001. Tony Barber hosted a game show with essentially the same format under the title The $25,000 Great Temptation from 1970-76, and was also the initial host of Sale for over a decade before being replaced by Glenn Ridge in 1991.
Temptation is an American game show which aired on ABC from December 4, 1967 to March 1, 1968. It was produced by Merrill Heatter and Bob Quigley. Art James was the host, and Carl King was the announcer.
The Game Game is a game show hosted by Jim McKrell. It was packaged by Chuck Barris and aired during the 1969–1970 season; the show was Barris's first syndicated program.
Break the Bank is an American game show created by Jack Barry and Dan Enright and produced by their production company Barry & Enright Productions. It was the first game show produced by Barry and Enright as a tandem since their fall from grace following the 1950s quiz show scandals.
NY Wired was a lottery game show aired from 1997 to 1999. The weekly show was produced by Jonathan Goodson Productions in association with the New York Lottery. For its first season, it was also co-produced by DDB Needham. The show was canceled in mid-1999 due to low ratings.
Monopoly Millionaires' Club is an American game show that debuted in syndication on March 28, 2015. Hosted by stand-up comedian/actor Billy Gardell, best known for his role as Chicago police officer Mike Biggs on the sitcom Mike & Molly, it was initially based on an unsuccessful drawing game of the same name that was coordinated by the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL), using the Monopoly board game brand under license from Hasbro. The lottery game returned, in scratch-off form, in the spring of 2015.
References
↑ "El Paso Herald-Post" (El Paso, Texas): p.20:1959-08-06
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
